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Tame the butterflies in your stomach

We all get nervous at some point in time or other and we are all aware of how it feels. Few of the common symptoms are shortness of breath, feeling awkward, sweaty palms, etc. But, have you ever noticed that these are also the symptoms when you are in love or buying something long waited for? That’s because these symptoms are a way of your body providing you with information, preparing you for the event.

So, why fear nervousness when we all face it. Here are a few tips that might help you tame the butterflies in your stomach and shine bright.

Breathe

As simple as it sounds, breathing in and breathing out slowly helps to reduce anxiety as it gives more oxygen to our body. So before facing your audience, take deep breaths in and out. Fill your lungs with oxygen and your mind with positive thoughts. Once you're under the spotlight, take pause when required to take deep breaths. Try to practice intentional breathing so it will come naturally, leaving you to feel relaxed.

A friend in the crowd

Pick a friendly face out of the crowd, and tell them that you will be speaking to them. Do this before you are on stage. Hopefully, they will be on their best audience behaviour and make eye contact with you. Do not pick your friend who boasts how he can sleep through action-adventure movies – no, you want to pick the high octane coffee drinker for this one.

Mark up your script

If you will be reading straight from the text, use symbols for certain gestures, and insert them where you feel they will be most effective. Take a moment to insert the pauses clearly, so you will not be tempted to jump over them. The words spoken just after an effective pause are more likely to stick with your audience.

Look comfortable and relaxed

When you look relaxed, the audience will relax also, and you will pick up their ease. This is a desirable feedback loop. You can try the following to look relaxed:

Keep your hands in “rest position”.

Practice your talk while looking at yourself in the mirror, imagining the audience. Let your hands move naturally, but be mindful of what “they” are doing while unsupervised.

Avoid having your hands clasped in front of your body.

If you wear a ring, don’t wear it out by twirling it.

If you have to hold a pointer or a clicker, consider setting them down between uses.

Dress for success

Try to find out ahead of time what the audience is expected to wear. Then, pick an outfit that is at the high end of the acceptable spectrum. Normally, it will not hurt to be the best dressed in the room, unless you go so far above the level of the crowd that you appear ostentatious. Don’t clutter-up by wearing bracelets or swingy necklaces. Think twice about anything that jingles or shimmers. One discrete lapel pin, some subdued earrings (female) or a school ring (male) are about as bedecked as you need to be.

Hope this helps you with your future speeches, presentations and more. If you have any unique or personalized way of dealing with the butterflies in the stomach, do share them in the comment section below.

NEXT STORY

Panic disorder in Teens

Around one out of every 75 people might experience panic disorder as a serious condition. Usually, it appears during the teenage years or early adulthood. However, it is unclear as to what could be the reasons for it, there seems a prominent connection between panic disorder and major life transitions that are potentially stressful. There are also shreds of evidence that panic disorder may be due to genetics, so if someone in your family has suffered panic disorder, you have an increased risk of suffering from it, especially during a time in life that is more stressful.

A panic attack is a sudden surge of overwhelming fear that comes without warning and without any obvious reason. It is more intense than feeling ‘stressed out’. Some signs of a panic attack are:

Racing heartbeat

Difficulty in breathing, feeling that you can’t get enough air

Paralyzing sort of terror

Nausea, light-headedness, or dizziness

Trembling, sweating, shaking

Choking, chest pains

Hot flashes or sudden chills

Tingling in fingers or toes

Fear that you are going to get crazy or are about to die

Remember, that a panic attack includes four or more of the above-mentioned symptoms which come on rapidly and shoot up within 10 minutes.

But a panic attack can continue to affect us long after it has ended; causing heightened nervousness and anxiety hours after the attack has subsided. Experiencing a panic attack can be a frightening experience especially for a teenager.

If left untreated, panic disorder can negatively affect our life and potentially lead to problems with school, relationships, and self-esteem. Only a doctor or qualified professional can diagnose a teen with panic disorder. A doctor can also rule out possible medical causes for the panic attacks and determine if any co-occurring conditions exist, such as depression.

Panic disorder is treatable with a variety of effective therapies available. Once treated, the panic disorder does not lead to any permanent complications. So, if you feel you have any of the above symptoms get it professionally diagnosed and treated. You can also speak to our experts through chat or email at expert@teentalkindia.com

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Disclaimer: TeentalkIndia does not offer emergency services and is not a crisis intervention centre, if you or someone you know is experiencing acute distress or is suicidal/self harming, please contact the nearest hospital or emergency/crisis management services or helplines.